Air compressor



Nov. 29, 1955 D. L. SPRIGGS 2,725,182

AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 1, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l David L. Spriggs INVENTOR.

BY Amati Nov. 29, 1955 D, L, 'SPRIGGS 2,725,182

AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 1, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 David L. Spriggs INVENTOR.

Wily-5 D. L. SPRIGGS AIR COMPRESSOR Nov. 29, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 1. 1951 IN V EN TOR.

David L. Spriggs United States Patent flice 2,725,182 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 AIR COMPRESSOR David L. Spriggs, Oildale, Calif.

Application February 1, 1951, Serial No. 208,868 2 Claims. Cl. 230-194 This invention relates to improvements in compressors.

An object of this invention is to provide a compressor with improved means of operating the work pistons thereof, which means includes a rotor having a ring gear as a component part thereof, together with a shaft having a concentrically mounted pinion thereon which is enmeshed with an intermediate gear, the intermediate gear being engaged with the teeth of the ring gear so that upon operation of the shaft the rotor is moved in a circular path in the compressor chamber and inasmuch as the pistons of the pump are connected with the rotor, they are thereby caused to reciprocate.

A further object of this invention is to provide fluid inlet openings in the casing which are in communication with the rotor chamber so that the inlet of fluid serves the secondary function of cooling the moving elements in the rotor assembly as it is delivered to the cylinders of the compressor.

A further, but equally important, object of this invention is to provide the means of operating the rotor of such construction that the intermediate gear causes the rotor to move in its circular path of travel due to the wedging action of the intermediate gear which is located between the pinion and the ring gear.

Ancillary objects and features of importance will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an elevational view of the assembly with parts being broken away in section to illustrate internal detail and schematically shown used in connection with a standard air manifold to deliver air to a tank, plenum chamber or the like;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the compressor;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a part of the compressor, the cylinders being omitted and parts of the front casing panel removed to illustrate internal detail;

Figure 4 is an elevation view somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 3 but showing a second position of operation of the rotor;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a part of the rotor;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another part of the rotor;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a standard valve used in the pistons of the compressor; and

Figure 8 is a top view of the structure in Figure 7.

in Figure 1 there is schematically illustrated a manifold 10 to which the air conductors 12, 14, 16 and 18 are attached. The individual air conductors are fastened to the outer ends of the cylinders 22, 24, 26 and 28 by a standard means and in the connections there are pressure opened valve assemblies 30. Suction opened valve assemblies 32 are disposed in the pistons 34, there being one piston provided in each cylinder. Any standard type of valve may be used at 30 or 32, the valve 32 which is suction opened being detailed in Figures 7 and 8. In the illustrated instance there is a valve plate 36 mounted in a valve chamber 38 which is formed by an annular recess in the collar 40, the collar being threaded or otherwise fastened in the head of the piston 34. The valve plate 36 is provided with a plurality of peripheral notches 42, thereby leaving legs 44 to rest upon the lower shoulder of the valve chamber 38 which is wider than the upper shoulder thereof so that when the valve plate 36 is lifted, air may pass through the notches 42 but when it is seated or lowered, the passage way 46 communicating with the valve chamber 38 is closed for flow of fluid, whether it is air or any other fluid.

The pistons are provided with piston rods 48, 50, 52 and 54, each being attached at its outer end to the pistons and each attached at its inner end to a rotor 58 which is disposed in the rotor chamber 60 of the compressor casing 62. The compressor casing has a front plate 64, a rear plate 66 and side walls 68 which are connected with the plates 64 and 68 by standard means, as by bolts or screws.

The rotor 58 consists of a ring gear 70 having teeth 72, this ring gear being provided with collars 74 and 76 which flank the teeth 72 and are of considerably larger diameter than the ring gear 70. There is an annular space 78 between the collars 74 and 76 wherein the inner ends of the piston rods 48, 50, 52 and 54 are disposed. These piston'rods are connected to the collars 74 and 76 by means of pins 80, 81, 82 and 83. This is the sole support of the piston rods 48, 52 and 54, whereas the piston rod 50 has a saddle bearing 86 which is bolted or otherwise rigidly fastened to the ring gear outer surface. Accordingly, the piston rod 50 not only serves the function of a piston rod but also serves a guiding function for the rotor'58, assisting to maintain it in a proper circular path of travel in the chamber 60.

Circular flanges or lips 90 and 91 rise from opposite faces of the collars 74 and 76 and are arranged to contact the inside surfaces of the plates 64 and 66. Circular retainers 92 and 93 are retained on the outer surfaces of the collars 74 and 76 and are held centered by means of the flanges 90 and 91. The retainers 92 and 93 hold the pins 80, 81, 82 and 83 in place in the rotor 58 and also contact the inside surfaces of the casing plates 64 and 66 to serve a guiding function.

Included as a part of the rotor is a pair of identical plates or disks 95 and 96. The plate 95 is shown in Figure 6 and has a peripheral groove 98 which seats roller bearings 100. These roller bearings contact guides formed in the rotor, the guides consisting of smoothwalled openings on each side of the teeth 72 of the ring gear 70. The plate 95 is provided with an aperture 102 which is eccentric with respect to the plate 95 and which has a babbitt or other type of bearing located therein. A second opening 104, which is also eccentric with respect to the plate, is formed therein and two or more passages 106 and 107 are formed in the plate 95. The passages 106 and 107 accommodate pins 108 and 110 which mount the spacers 112 and 114 to hold the plates 95 and 96 spaced properly from each other. The function of the aperture 104 and the equivalent aperture in the plate 96 is to accommodate the spindle 118 which passes through a central opening in an intermediate gear 120 which is enmeshed with the teeth 72 and also enmeshed with the teeth 122 of a pinion 124.

The intermediate gear 120 constitutes a part of the means for moving the rotor 58 in a definite and prescribed circular path of travel. The pinion 124 also serves a part of this particular means and the pinion is concentrically mounted upon and fixed diametrically to a compressor shaft 126. The shaft 126 is passed through aligned openings in the plates 64 and 66 and also through the babbitt, bronze or other type of bearings located in the aligned apertures 102 in the plates 95 and 96., respectively. The. pulley 130 is illustrated in Figure 2 as being fastened to the shaft 126 and the illustration is for the purpose of showing a standard means of operating the shaft.

Fluid inlet openings 132 are formed in the plate 66, while fluid inlet openings 134 are formed in the plate 64. Inasmuch as the cylinders 22, 24, 26 and 28 open into the chamber 60 and the fluid inlet openings 132 and 134 also communicate with the chamber 60, upon actuation of the rotor 58 as caused by rotation of the shaft 126, air of other fluid is drawn through the inlet openings 132 and 134 and into the chamber 60, whence it passes into the cylinders due to the suction caused by reciprocation of the pistons in the cylinders and the valve arrangements operatively connected therewith. By virtue of this construction, not only is the air delivered to the manifold but also, it serves the secondary function of cooling the moving parts of the rotor and the means of operating the rotor.

Upon application of torque to the shaft 126, the pinion 124 is rotated. Since this pinion is concentrically arranged with respect to the shaft 126, it will, of itself, cause no orbital movement of the rotor. However, the intermediate gear 120 is enmeshed with the pinion 124 and the teeth 72 of the ring gear 70. Therefore, the intermediate gear 120 is planetary with respect to the longitudinal axis. of the shaft 126, thereby causing the rotor 58 to be moved in a circular path of travel as guided by the piston rod 50 which serves the function of a guide. The presence of the plates 95 and 96 add to smoothness of operation but are not depended upon for imparting the circular motion to the rotor 58. The action of the three gears, the intermediate gear wedging between the concentrically mounted pinion and the orbitally movable ring gear is the direct cause of the movement of the rotor 58.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a compressor, a cylindrical casing, a plurality of circumferentially spaced cylinders opening into said casing pistons reciprocablev within said cylinders, drive means Within said casing and connecting rods interconmeeting said drive means and said pistons, said drive means including a rotatable drive shaft ext nding concentrically through said casing, a rotor mounted eccentrically around said drive shaft for rotation relative thereto, and gearing means interconnecting said rotor and said drive shaft for moving the rotor upon rotation of the drive shaft, said connecting rods being pivotally secured to said rotor and one way valve means on said pistons allowing fluid passage from the casing into the cylinders.

2. In a compressor, the combination of a casing having a chamber therein and fluid inlet ports opening into said chamber, a drive assembly including a rotor within said chamber, cylinders Opening into said chamber, pistons reciprocable within said cylinders, said rotor including a drive shaft having a pinion thereon; a planet gear enmeshed with said pinion and a ring gear enmeshed with said planet gear, connecting rods connected at one set of their ends to said pistons and at the other set of their ends to said ring gear, and one way valve mean-s on said pistons allowing fluid passage from the easing into the cylinders upon. the intake stroke of the pistons, and exhaust valves on said cylinders, said exhaust valves comprising normally closed ball check valves opening upon the exhaust stroke of said pistons.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,053,991 Henderson Feb. 25, 1913 1,437,184 Kelly Nov. 28, 1922 2,071,870 Ballentine Feb. 23, 1937 2,082,483 De Bruin June 1, 1937 2,138,093 Feldbush Nov. 29, 1938 2,319,718 Brooks May 18, 1943 2,390,229 Thompson Dec. 4, 19 2,506,133 Browne May 2, 1950 2,506,693 Voisin May 9, 1950 2,529,996 Browne Nov. 14, 1950 2,529,997 Browne Nov. 14, 1950 2,539,896 Dalrymple June 30, 1951 

